Saturday, July 18, 2020

July 18, 2020—Elaine O.

Not much to show this week. I've had two directions and spent some time sketching with my new-ish pencil. I haven't been able to get the sketches to photograph, though, so maybe next time....

This is the new pencil. It's mechanical, so I don't need a sharpener.

One of the things I've been atttempting is simplification, particularly in portraits. I tried to sketch faces, concentrating on values. Working very quickly, I'm trying to posterize the faces, using two (three at most) values—and then seeing if it still looks like a person. These are done in brush pens, fountain pens and bits of watercolor. Some work better than others, as you can see!




This one is in direct watercolor, again, relying on values more than color.


See you next week.

5 comments:

  1. sjdJuly 18, 2020 at 1:32 PM

    It must be in the air! I’ve been trying to simplify my sketches & work with only 2 or 3 colors. Trying to concentrate on shapes instead of features. These are nice — you’ve got some depth and a style — and a little self portrait there. How long is your hair now?! Do you like using brush pens? I’ve got a couple but I can’t seem to find a use for them. Thx for showing these - it’s a good starter practice.

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    Replies
    1. ekoJuly 18, 2020 at 4:22 PM

      My bangs hit the bottom of my nose, so I have to clip them back to avoid annoyance. I desperately need a haircut! Maybe I'll do a self-portrait sketch of me next week so you can see for yourself! I got one of the Pentel brush pens a couple of years ago and wasn't too keen on it... until I did a "30-days" series of sketches with just the brush pen. It's still a little chunky and hard to control for fine detail, but we're friendlier now.

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  2. -- et --July 18, 2020 at 6:53 PM

    I still get the willies thinking about doing direct paint sketches. I envy your work!

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  3. paoJuly 20, 2020 at 8:47 AM

    Very nice pencil. Too bad it won't let you show us it's work.

    For some reason I'm drawn to the blue portraits. Is it because they seem to have more subtle variations of tones? The black/gray ones naturally are higher in contrast. The colorful watercolor portrait is spot on fun.

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  4. Uncle KenJuly 20, 2020 at 9:40 AM

    I can't find the self portrait. Even before I read Pat's comment I was thinking the blue people stood head and shoulders over the others. I'm guessing that something about the blue media made you more comfortable. You know, sometimes you have to watch over your media like a hawk, and sometimes you can let it take care of yourself, like a pretty smart and responsible twelve year old.

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